Forgotten Winter is never far away.
Founded in 2004, the Portuguese multi-instrumentalist duo of Trovador (Omitir, ex-Bruma Obscura) and Eremita (Efémero, ex-Defunct) return to life with the release of Lucífugo, their fourth album, out in 2024 on Loudriver Records.
Lucifuga Vila begins with soothing ethereal sounds, but darkness quickly corrupts them with unhealthy vocal parts, creating an intense contrast in Old School approach. The piercing leads and keyboards seem very luminous compared to the slightly recessed drums (especially the double kick), but all the instruments contribute to this serene atmosphere, also found on Nenufar, where the duo welcome back Andreia Figueiredo – who had already joined them on the previous album – for some softer vocal parts, accompanying their growls. The music’s basis remains anchored in its Symphonic roots, which the musicians also develop on Noite, the shortest of the six compositions, where the various keyboards are once again given pride of place to carry our spirit to the heart-rending melancholy of Sentinela Na Masmorra, where darkness envelops us once again. Although the track starts off with a vengeance, it slows down and deepens to feed the oppressive atmosphere that becomes macabre on Baile Dos Cadaveres, where almost festive tones punctuate the crazy dance and chorus, which inevitably slows down. Having reached a genuinely haunting pace, the rhythmic pattern flares up again, leading us on to Ascralt, where duality still lives intensely between its melodious base and dark murmurs, but this alliance seems so natural that we forget its opposites and contemplate its harmony until the lights go out.
Forgotten Winter‘s whole identity is based on a harmonious contrast between its gentlest elements and its visceral darkness. Lucífugo can soothe as well as oppress, and this is one of the most mysterious albums I’ve listened to recently.
85/100